The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Marksissons,

and is narrated by Brock Armstrong.

Raggio Taisal, why you should start doing light morning workouts.

In the early 1920s, MetLife Insurance sponsored a daily 15-minute calisthenics program

to be broadcast over the radio to American audiences in an effort to make them healthier and fitter.

It didn't catch on here, but visiting Japanese officials loved the idea enough to bring it back to Japan.

To commemorate the coronation of Emperor Horohito in 1928, Japanese public radio began daily broadcasts

of Raidyo Taizo, or radio calisthenics.

Every morning Japanese citizens, young and old, would gather to perform a short circuit of dynamic

stretches, joint mobility drills, and body weight exercises in time to broadcasted piano music.

Participation has dropped off in recent years, but even today about 20% of the Japanese population

and three quarters of elementary school students still do the daily

routine, which has remained unchanged for almost a century. The actual routine is about what you'd

expect. Lots of arm circles, bending over, squats, toe-touching, constant movement, none of it very

intense.

If you live in an area with a large Asian or Asian-American population,

particularly Chinese or Japanese,

you've probably seen the older folks walking around in the morning,

swinging their arms, clapping, or doing light circuit routines with each other in the parks.

Maybe even a little Tai Chi.

This is very similar to Rajio-Taiso,

and it seems quite popular in many Asian countries.

...